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Abstract:

According to one embodiment, a content reproducing apparatus includes a
wireless communication unit which performs wireless communication with a
plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, a reproducing unit which
reproduces streaming data received by the wireless communication unit
depending on a predetermined reproducing order, and a control unit which
starts a communication connection process between the wireless
communication apparatus which stores streaming data to be reproduced next
in the reproducing order and the wireless communication unit at a
predetermined period of time before reproduction end prediction time of
the streaming data which is being reproduced by the reproducing unit.

Claims:

1. A content reproducing apparatus comprising:a wireless communication
unit configured to perform wireless communication with a plurality of
wireless communication apparatuses;a reproducing unit configured to
reproduce streaming data received by the wireless communication unit
based on a predetermined reproducing order; anda control unit configured
to start a communication connection process between the wireless
communication unit and one of the plurality of wireless communication
apparatuses that stores the streaming data to be received next by the
wireless communication unit, as established in the predetermined
reproducing order, a predetermined period of time before the predicted
reproduction end time of streaming data being reproduced by the
reproducing unit at a present time.

2. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
predetermined period of time is set not to be shorter than the sum of the
time required for establishing a communication connection to the wireless
communication apparatus that stores the streaming data to be received
next and the time required for controlling the content reproducing
apparatus to initiate said communication connection.

3. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
predetermined time is set not to be shorter than the sum of the time
required for establishing a communication connection to the wireless
communication apparatus that stores the streaming data to be received
next, the time required for controlling the content reproducing apparatus
to initiate said communication connection, an intermittent execution time
required for intermittent execution, and the time required for retrying
to establish said communication connection in the event that it fails a
first time.

4. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
control unit is configured to acquire, from the wireless communication
apparatus that stores the streaming data being reproduced at a present
time, a reproducing time representing an entire time required for
reproducing the streaming data which is being reproduced at the present,
and an elapsed time from the start of reproduction of the streaming data
currently being reproduced to the present time.

5. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein based on
the reproducing order, while the streaming data is reproduced, a request
signal is received from the wireless communication apparatus through the
wireless communication unit to make it possible to add and modify the
content of the reproducing order.

6. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
control unit is configured to, when the streaming data to be received
next is stored by the same wireless communication apparatus as streaming
data being received at a present time, determine reproducing start time
of the streaming data to be received next without considering the
predetermined time.

7. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
predetermined time is a fixed time.

8. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
control unit is configured to update the predetermined time of the
wireless communication apparatus on the basis of a time taken to
establish a connection process with one of the plurality of wireless
communication apparatuses in the past.

9. A content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising a display unit configured to display an image depending on the
streaming data reproduced by the reproducing unit on a screen.

10. A communication method for a content reproducing apparatus which
performs streaming reproduction of streaming data by performing wireless
communication with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses,
comprising:establishing wireless connections to the plurality of wireless
communication apparatuses;reproducing streaming data received from the
plurality of wireless communication apparatuses based on a predetermined
reproducing order; andstarting a communication connection process with
the one of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses that
stores streaming data to be reproduced next, as established in the
predetermined reproducing order, at a predetermined time before the
predicted reproducing end time of the streaming data being reproduced at
a present time.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority
from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-119840, filed Apr. 27, 2007,
the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002]1. Field

[0003]One embodiment of the invention relates to a content reproducing
apparatus which acquires content data such as audio data or video data by
wireless communication to reproduce the content data and a communication
method for the content reproducing apparatus.

[0004]2. Description of the Related Art

[0005]As is well known, in recent years, along with the popularization of
a wireless communication technique and a digital processing technique, a
system which transmits streaming data such as audio data and video data
by wireless communication is increasingly demanded. For example, there is
a system which performs communication with a plurality of wireless
communication apparatuses by wireless communication such as Bluetooth
(registered trademark) to acquire audio data by streaming and causes a
user to hear the content with wireless headphones.

[0006]Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-39432 discloses a
technique related to a reproducing apparatus with a communication
function wherein packet reproducing time is calculated from an entire
reproducing time of content data and a current reproducing elapsed time,
the reproducing time and the entire reproducing time are compared with
each other to measure an elapsed time, and, when the elapsed time runs
out, streaming communication from a wireless communication apparatus is
ended.

[0007]However, in the technique described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI
Publication No. 2005-39432, the streaming communication is ended
depending predicted end time in streaming communication with one wireless
communication apparatus. For this reason, when a plurality of content
data items stored in a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses
are to be sequentially acquired/reproduced, in particular, a long time is
taken to start communication with a new wireless communication apparatus.
As a result, a time in which reproduction of content data such as music
is impossible may occur at a start of communication with a new wireless
communication apparatus. This may interrupt continuous reproduction of
the content data to generate a long silent interval, so that the
convenience of a user may be spoiled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]A general architecture that implements the various feature of the
invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The
drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate
embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

[0009]FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a block
diagram shown to explain an example of a configuration of a content
reproducing apparatus;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a diagram shown to explain an example of a communication
mode between a content reproducing apparatus and a wireless communication
apparatus in the embodiment;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a diagram shown to explain another example of a
communication mode between the content reproducing apparatus and the
wireless communication apparatus in the embodiment;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a diagram shown to explain an example of a communication
process between the content reproducing apparatus and the wireless
communication apparatus when the present invention is not applied;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a diagram shown to explain an example of a playlist which
is handled by the content reproducing apparatus in the embodiment;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a diagram shown to explain an example of a request list
handled by the content reproducing apparatus in the embodiment;

[0015]FIG. 7 is a diagram shown to explain an example of a processing
process between the content reproducing apparatus and the wireless
communication apparatus in the embodiment;

[0016]FIG. 8 is a diagram shown to explain another example of the
communication process between the content reproducing apparatus and the
wireless communication apparatus in the embodiment;

[0017]FIG. 9 is a flowchart shown to explain an example of a communication
process operation of the content reproducing apparatus in the embodiment;

[0018]FIG. 10 is a flowchart shown to explain another example of the
communication process operation of the content reproducing apparatus in
the embodiment; and

[0019]FIG. 11 is a flowchart shown to explain the details of a part of the
communication process operation of the content reproducing apparatus in
the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020]Various embodiments according to the invention will be described
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general,
according to one embodiment of the invention, a content reproducing
apparatus includes a wireless communication unit which performs wireless
communication with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, a
reproducing unit which reproduces streaming data received by the wireless
communication unit depending on a predetermined reproducing order, and a
control unit which starts a communication connection process between the
wireless communication apparatus which stores streaming data to be
reproduced next in the reproducing order and the wireless communication
unit a predetermined period of time before reproduction end prediction
time of the streaming data which is being reproduced by the reproducing
unit.

[0021](Configuration)

[0022]A content reproducing apparatus MO to be described as an embodiment
of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, is a wireless communication
apparatus used as a receiver for streaming data and preferably includes a
transmission function. The content reproducing apparatus may be a
playback device for playing audiovisual content, for example. As shown in
FIG. 2, the content reproducing apparatus MO is a wireless communication
apparatus which performs wireless communication with a wireless
communication apparatus MA, a wireless communication apparatus MB, a
wireless communication apparatus MC, and the like in which content data
are stored.

[0023]In this case, as an example, the embodiment will be explained with a
usage scene in which audio streaming data (may be moving image data)
transmitted from audio players through a wireless communication is
received by a wireless headphone. More specifically, in the
configuration, the content reproducing apparatus MO is, for example,
wireless headphones as shown in FIG. 2; the wireless communication
apparatus MA is a mobile phone; the wireless communication apparatus MB
is an audio player; and the wireless communication apparatus MC is a
multimedia player with television function.

[0024]Though the content reproducing apparatus MO is at least required to
be configured as an apparatus having a receiving function for streaming
data, the content reproducing apparatus MO is preferably a reproducing
apparatus having a display function and a video reproducing function, as
shown in FIG. 3. Similarly, the wireless communication apparatus MA, the
wireless communication apparatus MB, the wireless communication apparatus
MC is at least required to be configured as streaming data transmitting
apparatuses. The streaming data to be transmitted or received is not
limited to audio data. For example, as the streaming data, video data is
preferably used.

[0025]The content reproducing apparatus MO, as shown in FIG. 1, has a
control unit 10 which controls an entire operation, a recording unit 11
which records and reproduces content given as streaming data from an
external device or the like, and a battery 29 which supplies a power for
the operation. Furthermore, the content reproducing apparatus MO, as
shown in FIG. 1, includes a wireless communication unit 25 which
communicates with an external wireless communication apparatus by a
wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark),
an operation unit 26 which gives an operation signal to the control unit
10 or the like in response to an operation by a user, a display unit 27
such as a liquid crystal display which displays, for example, a playlist
representing a reproducing order or the like of content (to be described
later) and a moving image depending on the content, and an output unit 28
such as a loudspeaker or an interface which outputs output data.

[0026]The recording unit 11 includes an operation control unit 21 which
controls an operation of the recording unit 11, a memory unit 24 which
stores content data, a playlist (to be described later), a request list,
and process time information such as a process time of each wireless
communication apparatus, a decoding unit 23 which performs a decoding
process to the content data stored in the memory unit 24 and content data
given externally as streaming data, and a wireless communication control
unit 22 which controls an operation of, especially, the wireless
communication unit 25.

[0027]The content reproducing apparatus MO having the above configuration
is a wireless communication apparatus having a function which causes the
decoding unit 23 to decode streaming data mainly received through the
wireless communication unit 25 under the control of the wireless
communication control unit 22 and outputs the decoded data to the output
unit 28 as reproducing data.

[0028]In this case, the wireless communication unit 25 controlled by the
wireless communication control unit 22 can perform short-range wireless
communication with the other wireless communication apparatuses MA, MB
and MC, etc., and is, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark)
communication apparatus. The decoding unit 23 has a decoding function
using at least one encoding scheme.

[0029]The memory unit 24 stores reproducing content information,
identification information of a wireless communication apparatus holding
data of the content, and information (to be described later in detail)
which associates information of a process time to the wireless
communication apparatus.

[0030]When the content reproducing apparatus MO is designated by a user
through the operation unit 26 to be wirelessly connected to the wireless
communication apparatus MA, the wireless communication apparatus MB, and
the wireless communication apparatus MC, or when wireless connection is
automatically connected by the operation control unit 21, or, in contrast
to this, when wireless connection is designated by the wireless
communication apparatus MA, the wireless communication apparatus MB, or
the wireless communication apparatus MC, a connection process is
performed by the wireless communication unit 25 controlled by the
wireless communication control unit 22.

[0031]The content reproducing apparatus MO, the wireless communication
apparatus MA, the wireless communication apparatus MB, and the wireless
communication apparatus MC are connected to each other by a method
defined by, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) audio/video
remote control profile (AVRCP) or advanced audio distribution profile
(A2DP) and set in a state in which interactive wireless communication of
remote control data or audio data is made possible.

[0032]When a user selects content from the playlist displayed on the
display unit 27 of the content reproducing apparatus MO to designate the
operation unit 26 to perform audio streaming reproduction, or when the
operation unit (not shown) of the wireless communication apparatus MA,
the wireless communication apparatus MB, or the wireless communication
apparatus MC is designated to perform audio streaming reproduction, the
encoded streaming data is received by the content reproducing apparatus
MO through the wireless communication unit 25, and the reproduced data
decoded by the decoding unit 23 is output as sound from the output unit
28. In this manner, audio data can be reproduced among the content
reproducing apparatus MO, the wireless communication apparatus MA, the
wireless communication apparatus MB, and the wireless communication
apparatus MC.

[0033]The content reproducing apparatus MO displays a playlist or the like
on the display unit 27. At this time, when a user selects desired content
from the playlist or when the user designates sequential reproduction on
the basis of the playlist, the content reproducing apparatus MO is
designed to be similarly wirelessly connected to the apparatus holding
the data of the content to designate reproduction, thereby making it
possible to reproduce the content held in the plurality of wireless
communication apparatuses in a desired order.

[0034]Communication Method for Content Reproducing Apparatus serving as
Embodiment of the Invention>

[0035]A communication method for a content reproducing apparatus according
to an embodiment of the invention will be described below in detail with
reference to a flowchart.

[0036](Outline)

[0037]In the content reproducing apparatus MO according to the embodiment
of the invention, when streaming reproduction of content data stored in a
plurality of wireless communication apparatuses is sequentially performed
according to a playlist (FIG. 5) (to be described later) or a request
list (FIG. 6) communication with the wireless communication apparatuses
is started in consideration of process times of the wireless
communication apparatuses to exclude a silent interval caused by an
apparatus switching process. Thus, a comfortable continuous reproducing
process can be performed through the wireless communication as if the
content reproducing apparatus MO reproduces the plurality of contents
that stored in its main body.

[0038]More specifically, as shown in a timing chart in FIG. 4, it is
assumed that a stream a is reproduced from the first wireless
communication apparatus MA, a stream b is reproduced from the second
wireless communication apparatus MB, and a stream c is reproduced from
the third wireless communication apparatus MC. When the wireless
communication apparatuses are accessed after the reproduction of the
streams is finished, silent intervals (intervals T3 and T5 in FIG. 4)
between reproductions of the contents occur for times required for
communication with the wireless communication apparatuses, so that
reproduction which is uncomfortable for a user is performed.

[0039]At this time, process time information [apparatus to be connected]
which means the process time (T3) for a wireless communication apparatus
is given by the following equation: as shown in FIG. 4, process time
information [apparatus to be connected]=time (Ta) required for connection
process+time (Tb) required for control of its own apparatus+time (Tc)
required for intermittent execution+time (Td) required for retrying.

[0040]In this case, the "time (Ta) required for connecting process" means
a time taken until a connection procedure, which is performed until
stream reproduction is finished that includes an authentication process
between the content reproducing apparatus MO and the wireless
communication apparatuses MA, MB, or MC, becomes possible.

[0041]The "time (Tb) required for control of its own apparatus" means time
required for controlling the respective units of the content reproducing
apparatus MO by the control unit 10.

[0042]The "time (Tc) required for intermittent execution" is obtained by
accumulating margin times required for division when a process between
the content reproducing apparatus MO and the wireless communication
apparatuses MA, MB, or MC is divided into a plurality of processes not to
disturb other processes.

[0043]For example, when the authentication process is not successful by
performing the authentication process only once, retrying is performed a
predetermined number of times. The "time (Td)" means a total sum of
extension times when the retrying is performed all the predetermined
period of times.

[0044]The process time information [apparatus to be connected] which is a
total sum of these times is preferably measured in association with the
types of the target wireless communication apparatuses MA, MB, or MC,
etc. and stored in the memory unit 24 as table information. The process
time information is preferably displayed in addition to a playlist shown
in FIG. 5 or the request list shown in FIG. 6. However, even though the
process time information is not always displayed in addition to the
playlist or the request list, elimination of a silent interval which is
the operation effect of the embodiment of the invention can be achieved.

[0045]More specifically, the playlist shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the
memory unit 24 or the like, and can be formed by a user. The playlist
shown in FIG. 5 includes a reproducing time of content and the above
process time information [apparatus to be connected] together with
identification information of the content and identification information
of the wireless communication apparatus holding the data of the content.

[0046]The reproducing time of the content need not be always held in
advance because the reproducing time is designed to be able to be
acquired at a start of the reproduction according to the embodiment (to
be described later). In FIG. 5, the total time of the reproducing time of
the content and the process time information [apparatus to be connected]
is displayed. However, the reproducing time of the content and the total
time need not be always displayed.

[0047]Similarly, in the request list shown in FIG. 6, for example, even
though content is being reproduced, the content to be reproduced can be
requested to be added by an operation by a wireless communication
apparatus of a communicatee. This request list includes the
identification information of content and the identification information
of the wireless communication apparatus holding the data of the content,
the reproducing time of the content, and the above-described process time
information [apparatus to be connected].

[0048]Since the reproducing time of the content is designed to be able to
be acquired at the start of reproduction in the embodiment, the
reproducing time need not be always held in advance. Although FIG. 6
displays a total time of the reproducing time of the content and the
process time information [apparatus to be connected]. However, the
reproducing time of the content and the total time need not be always
displayed.

[0049]In the description of the embodiment, a time inherent in each target
apparatus is set as the process time information for an apparatus.
However, the process time information for the apparatus may be determined
and held in an arbitrary shape. As a matter of course, the same time may
be set to all the apparatuses. Although the time to be held is a total
sum of a plurality of times, a fixed time may be set.

[0050]Furthermore, the wireless communication control unit 22 of the
recording unit 11 is designed to notify the wireless communication
apparatuses MA, MB, or MC of a communicatee of information of a length
(to be simply referred to as a content length hereinafter) of streaming
content which is being reproduced by the content reproducing apparatus MO
and a current reproducing position (elapsed time) through the wireless
communication unit 25, or to be able to acquire the information from the
communicatee apparatus.

[0051]In this case, in order to perform notification or acquisition of the
information of the content length or the reproducing position, for
example, a VENDOR DEPENDENT command defined in the Bluetooth (registered
trademark) AVRCP specification is preferably used. More specifically, a
content length is acquired by GetPlayStatus of a VENDOR DEPENDENT command
of the AVRCP after the reproduction is started. Thereafter, setting is
performed such that a communicatee apparatus is notified of a change of a
reproduction position (EVENT_PLAYBACK_POS_CHANGED) by
RegisterNotification. Alternatively, when the communicatee side cannot be
notified the change, setting may be performed to periodically acquire the
reproduction position by GetPlayStatus from this side. The details will
be described in an explanation of a flowchart (to be described later). As
a matter of course, a command may be defined by another method other than
the AVRCP method, for example, a serial port profile (SPP).

[0052]In this manner, the wireless communication control unit 22 of the
control unit 10 or the recording unit 11 acquires the information of the
content length to make it possible to know a time until the current
streaming content is ended by the following equation:

(time until end of content)=(content length)-(current reproducing
position).

[0053]The above function is given to the wireless communication control
unit 22 of the recording unit 11 to make it possible to know information
on the process time for the next content holding wireless communication
apparatus and the time until the end of the current content. The wireless
communication control unit 22, on the basis of the pieces of time
information collected as described above, controls the wireless
communication unit 25 such that a connecting process to the next content
holding apparatus is started at the time that predate the end of the
current content by the process time.

[0054](Explanation of Communication Method by Flowchart)

[0055]A wireless communication control method according to an embodiment
of the invention will be described below with reference to a flowchart
shown in FIG. 9. In a concrete process explanation in the following
description, an example given when the Bluetooth (registered trademark)
AVRCP is used will be described.

[0056]The control unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22
load the playlist (FIG. 5) or the request list (FIG. 6) from the memory
unit 24 and load the process time information for the wireless
communication apparatus (step S11). The control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 check whether the control unit 10 and the
wireless communication control unit 22 are designated to perform a
reproducing process according to the playlist (FIG. 5) or the request
list (FIG. 6) from the operation unit 26 by a user (step S12).

[0057]Upon detecting a reproducing designation (step S12), the control
unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 shift to step S13
to wait until the control unit 10 and the wireless communication control
unit 22 are designated to reproduce content.

[0058]Upon detecting the reproduction designation, the control unit 10 and
the wireless communication control unit 22 specify the wireless
communication apparatus holding content data designated to be reproduced
from the playlist (FIG. 5), the request list (FIG. 6), or the like and
perform a connection process to the communicatee apparatus (step S13).

[0059]Upon completion of the connection to the communicatee wireless
communication apparatus, the control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 designate the communicatee apparatus to
reproduce the content (step S14). In this manner, the control unit 10 and
the wireless communication control unit 22 receive streaming data from
the wireless communication apparatus of the communicatee through the
wireless communication unit 25, and the decoding unit 23 decodes and
reproduces the streaming data to output a video signal to the display
unit 27 or output audio data to the output unit 28.

[0060]At the start of reproduction in this case, as shown in a flowchart
in FIG. 11, a "content length" and a "reproducing position (elapsed
time)" are acquired from the wireless communication apparatus of the
communicatee and served in the reproducing process.

[0061]More specifically, as shown in the flowchart in FIG. 11, the control
unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 execute a setting
process at the start of reproduction when the reproduction of the content
is started. The control unit 10 and the wireless communication control
unit 22 check whether the control unit 10 and the wireless communication
control unit 22 have received the content length from the communicatee
apparatus (step S101).

[0062]When the content length has not been received, the control unit 10
and the wireless communication control unit 22 acquire "content length"
information from the wireless communication apparatus of the communicatee
through the wireless communication unit 25 (step S102). This process
serves as, in particular, a process of acquiring the content length by
transmitting the GetPlayStatus of the VENDOR DEPENDENT command.

[0063]When the "content length" information has been received, the control
unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 determine whether
the wireless communication apparatus notifies of reproducing position
(elapsed time) information of the content from the wireless communication
apparatus of the communicatee through the wireless communication unit 25
(step S103). More specifically, the determination can be performed by
checking whether EVENT_PLAYBACK_POS_CHANGED is included in response
against GetCapabilities of the VENDOR DEPENDENT command that specifies
EVENTS_SUPPORTED as its parameter.

[0064]As a result, when the communicatee apparatus can notify of the
reproducing position (elapsed time) information (step S103), the control
unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 designate the
communicatee apparatus to periodically notify of the reproducing position
(step S104). The notification designation of the reproducing position, in
particular, can be periodically performed by transmitting
RegisterNotification of the VENDOR DEPENDENT command that specifies
EVENT_PLAYBACK_POS_CHANGED as its parameter.

[0065]On the other hand, when the communicatee apparatus cannot notify of
the reproducing position (elapsed time) information (step S103), the
control unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 set its
own apparatus such that the content reproducing apparatus MO periodically
acquires a reproducing position for the communicatee apparatus (step
S105). In this case, in order to acquire the reproducing position by the
content reproducing apparatus MO itself, in particular, the reproducing
position can be acquired by transmitting the GetPlayStatus of the VENDOR
DEPENDENT command. This is the end of the explanation of the setting
process at the start of reproduction in the flowchart in FIG. 11, and the
explanation subsequent to the flowchart in FIG. 9 is started again.

[0066]In the flowchart in FIG. 9, the control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 of the content reproducing apparatus MO
determine whether there is content to be reproduced next to the content
which is being currently reproduced by use of the playlist in FIG. 5
and/or the request list in FIG. 6. The control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 determine that there is the next content
(step S16). When there is the next content, the process shifts to step
S17, otherwise the process is ended.

[0067]When the control unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit
22 further reproduce the next content (step S16), the control unit 10 and
the wireless communication control unit 22 specify an apparatus holding
the data of the next content from, for example, the playlist in FIG. 5
and/or the request list in FIG. 6 to determine whether the apparatus is
the same wireless communication apparatus as the communication apparatus
holding the data of the content which is being currently reproduced
(i.e., currently connected apparatus) or not (step S17).

[0068]When the control unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit
22 determine that the wireless communication apparatus holding the data
of the next content is not the same as the current wireless communication
apparatus (step S17), the process shifts to step S19. When the control
unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 22 determine that the
wireless communication apparatus is the same as the current wireless
communication apparatus, the process shifts to step S18 to wait for the
end of reproduction of the current content (step S18). When the
reproduction is ended, the process returns to step S14.

[0069]More specifically, FIG. 7 shows a timing chart when the wireless
communication apparatus holding the next content data is different from
the wireless communication apparatus holding the previous content data.
FIG. 8 shows a timing chart when the wireless communication apparatus
holding the next content data is the same as the wireless communication
apparatus holding the previous content.

[0070]That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the wireless communication
apparatus holding the next content data and the wireless communication
apparatus holding the previous content data are not changed, a process
time required to start communication of the wireless communication
apparatus need not be considered with respect to reproduction of a stream
e to reproduction of a stream f. In this manner, start time (FIG. 8, t4)
of streaming reproduction of the second and subsequent content items,
i.e., acquisition start time of a stream can be determined.

[0071]On the other hand, in step S19, the wireless communication apparatus
holding the next content data is different from the wireless
communication apparatus holding the previous content data. FIG. 7 shows a
timing chart obtained at this time. More specifically, since a
destination is changed from the wireless communication apparatus MA to
the wireless communication apparatus MB with respect to the reproduction
of the stream a to the reproduction of stream b, start time (t1) of
streaming reproduction of the next content must be determined in
consideration of a process time (T3) required for the start of
communication of the wireless communication apparatus MB.

[0072]More specifically, the control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 calculate second time (t1') which goes back
in the process time (T3) of the wireless communication apparatus holding
data of content to be reproduced next from first time (t1) at which the
content currently reproduced is predicted to be ended on the basis of
list information (FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6) representing a reproducing order
of a plurality of content items and identification information of the
wireless communication apparatus holding the content, a reproducing time
(T2) of the plurality of content items, and a process time (T3) required
to start communication of the wireless communication apparatus. Control
is performed to start communication by the wireless communication unit 22
with the wireless communication apparatus holding the content data to be
reproduced next at this time (step S19).

[0073]In this manner, after the control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 determine the next process start time t1',
a reproducing position (elapsed time Tx) is compared with the next
process start time t1' to determine whether the reproducing position
(elapsed time) reaches t1' (step S20). As a result, when the reproducing
position (elapsed time) reaches t1', the control unit 10 and the wireless
communication control unit 22 execute connect to the next wireless
communication apparatus (step S21). Upon completion of the connection
process, the process time information of the wireless communication
apparatus is updated by a time actually required for the connection
process (step S22). In this manner, the latest process time information
for the wireless communication apparatus can be always held.

[0074]Furthermore, the reproducing process is continued until the
reproducing position reaches the content length of the content (step
S23). Thereafter, the reproducing process of the content is finished, the
connection to the wireless communication apparatus is interrupted
(disconnection or shift to a power-saving mode while maintaining
connection) (step S24).

[0075]On the other hand, in step S20, when the stop of reproduction is
designated by a user before the reproducing position reaches the start
time t1' (step S25), the process is interrupted here. When the reproduced
content is designated by a user to be changed (step S26), and the
processes from step S13 are repeated according to the designation.

[0076]As described above, the content reproducing apparatus MO according
to the embodiment starts communication with the next wireless
communication apparatus depending on the process time information of the
wireless communication apparatus holding the data of the next content in
preparation for the next content as shown in the timing charts in FIGS. 7
and 8. In this manner, a silent interval does not occur between the
reproduction of the content currently reproduced and the reproduction of
the next content. For this reason, the content from the plurality of
wireless communication apparatuses can be sequentially reproduced without
giving unnaturalness to a user.

[0077]More specifically, according to the embodiment described above,
information of the content length of streaming data which is being
reproduced and a current reproducing position (elapsed time) is acquired,
and a process time for a necessary start of communication is held.
According to a combination of the information and the process time,
communication to the next wireless communication apparatus is switched at
an appropriate timing that goes back from streaming end prediction time
in consideration of a time required for the process. In this manner,
since switching of streaming apparatuses can be realized for a period of
time shorter than that of a conventional technique, content can be
smoothly and continuously reproduced without causing a silent interval to
occur when the apparatuses are switched.

[0078]The flowchart in FIG. 10 shows the same reproducing process by using
the request list shown in FIG. 6. More specifically, the process shown in
the flowchart in FIG. 10 is almost the same as the process shown in the
flowchart in FIG. 9, and explanation of the common steps will be omitted.
The processes shown in the flowchart in FIG. 10 are different from those
in the flowchart in FIG. 9 in only that reference information is the
request list shown in FIG. 6 in step S11'.

[0079]The request list shown in FIG. 6 is managed by the control unit 10,
the wireless communication control unit 22, and the like and updated in
real time depending on a designation from the communicable wireless
communication apparatuses MA, MB, or MC, etc. Therefore, unlike a
playlist generated by a user or the like as shown in FIG. 5, reproducing
and changing of arbitrary content can be designated depending on an
operation of a user through the plurality of communicable wireless
communication apparatuses MA, MB, or MC.

[0080]In another embodiment, the processes according to the above
embodiment are preferably executed in a power-saving mode of a
reproducing apparatus.

[0081]While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described,
these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not
intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methods
and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms;
furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of
the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing
from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their
equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would
fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.